British super welterweight Liam Smith was set to kick off DAZN's stacked schedule with a clash against two-weight world champion Jessie Vargas on February 5th.
However, a positive COVID test for Vargas forced the fight to be postponed with a new date supposedly in the works.
Speaking to Ade Oladipo on The DAZN Boxing Show, Smith was dissapointed about the delay and is hoping a new date can be scheduled sooner rather than later.
"I’m gutted, I was ready to leave for the States this coming Saturday. It was a fight I’ve looked forward to for a number of years," Smith said.
"My thoughts are with Jessie and I hope he’s okay with COVID, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’m gutted with the situation.
"I’m trying to speak to Jessie myself now to see what the situation is and hopefully it can re-scheduled a couple of weeks later.
"It’ll kill me if it’s pushed back any later than March."
When it came to discussing why Smith has a burning desire to face Vargas, the Liverpudlian believes both of their styles would make for an entertaining contesting and would love to inflict the fourth professional loss on the American's record.
"With no title on the line I want fan-friendly fights and Jessie brings that. Two orthodoxes, both of us like to fight, none of us come to hold and make it a really scrappy affair, I feel it only gels for a good fight.
"On the other side, he’s a two-weight world champion trying to become a three-weight world champion, it’s a very good record to have on my resume. He’s only lost to Manny Pacquiao, Timothy Bradley and Mikey Garcia.
"When you retire and they’re your only three losses, that’s some resume for yourself so I want to try and add my name to that."
Following an eighth round stoppage win against Anthony Fowler last October, some believed that Smith still has one world title run left in him, but the 33-year-old believes it will be this potential clash with Vargas which will determine whether he can mount another world title challenge.
"I don’t want to be having tick over fights at 33 years of age, I’ve been world champion. I can retire tomorrow and my CV I’m happy with, I’ve been British champion, Commonwealth champion, world champion, but I want to see what I’ve got left.
"Fighters like Jessie will tell me the answer to that question.
"I beat Jessie, I feel like I’ve got another crack left in me. If I don’t beat Jessie I’m not going to beat a world champion."